Self Portrait as Patience and Persistence
This work is a holistic self portrait that embodies the influences that lead to my unlikely existence, as well as the play between exterior forces and my agency as an individual. It is composed of steel wire, red thread and dried grass, which was gathered with my father in the region where I was raised.
The grass represents my remote, rural upbringing, my ties to my family, as well as the colonial history that drove my Métis ancestors to settle in the Peace Region. The shape of the wire armature is derived from my head and shoulders. The piece is hung at my height and acts as a placeholder for my body.
The thread symbolizes every impossible chance and connection that had to occur in order for me to be born. It is the connective tissue that ties every trauma, or stroke of luck that resulted in my existence that is still present in my being. The malleability of the wire, as well as the patience and persistence required to create such an intricate work reflect my agency. This work posits the act of creation as an assertion of my autonomy.